The Forest is Queen - Steemit Vision Quest

Ahh, the warmth of the sun basks the earth yet again. I heard at least 3 different bird songs today, squished moss between my fingers and went on the first hike of the year!

This is what my soul has been yearning for, what my plants have been awaiting and what my chickens have sorely missed. The queen of the forest is nearly done her long slumber, and to celebrate I create, explore and rejoice! Warm weather from here on out, things are looking good!

This morning I sat down and painted a vision quest for a good 4 hours, and this afternoon I went for a hike with @offgridninja and the super dog Drea (which I think I shall share in pictures later). I am pretty infused with the spring-spirit and am eagerly marching ahead into spring! And thus, I am also chock full of inspiration!

The Art Part - Vision Quest

The theme this week was Queen of the Forest. Damn! SO many beautiful images went through my mind, it was just too hard to choose. I also really wanted to paint, so I had to think, what can I paint?

The one thing that stuck in my head was the film I recently watched on the primeval forests of BC, where two thousand year trees still stand and where diversity flourishes. I think that the ancient mother trees are the true queens of the forest, as without them there would be no forest at all. Alongside those ancient mother trees must be children and their innocent awe of nature, something which we must not let fade when we grow older. Together, these two visions became my vision quest of the Queen of the Forest! The trees and the children, those are the forest queens. Yet, isn't the forest Queen herself?

But honestly I have not finished! One cannot rush beauty or nature, and the same applies to a painting too I suppose. So far I have got the forest part down, but no child in the forest yet. Things left unfinished are still beautiful however, and even with the vision not yet completed I have to say this is probably my favorite painting yet!

Let me share with you the process:

I started with a reference image from pixabay to guide myself in the lighting and details. This is the image I chose:

Although I really wanted a big tree in the middle, this image was just so beautiful! The stream, the soft grass, the array of greens. That is something I am still missing a little bit in my life right now, I can't wait for the lush greens of spring when mother earth re-awakens.

I also chose this totally awesome and lovely oval canvas. Something about round things and nature scenes just seems right!

I started with the background colors last night after I coated the canvas in white. I suppose that and leaving my paints all over the table inspired me to start painting as soon as I woke up this morning, as that is often how it goes for me!

A creative mess is a productive mess and also a beautiful one!

Slowly my painting turned from some green splotches to a beautiful forest meadow and stream. Painting grass takes a while but is actually a whole lot of fun!

I love the really long and fancy brush I use to do it, along with a smaller fuzzier brush to smudge things and make it look mossy. Although I tried to find a Bob Ross tutorial on how to paint moss, I ended up winging it.

I am glad I could take this image and turn it into something of my own. Although they look similar they are very different! My painting skills are no where near photo realistic yet, but still you can see the beauty and lighting of the original.

When this painting is really done, I will have added a cute little girl sitting my the stream bed, and maybe an animal or two.

The vibrant setting on my camera really made all these greens pop! It was a fun thing to only use green to paint, with a little bit of yellow and blue here and there. I love the vivid colored paintings of nature scenes, something about it is close to the real life splendor of the forest.

I am pretty pleased with the product if I do say so myself. This pretty painting has found a home as the centerpiece of my kitchen shrine.

I wonder, if there really is a queen of the forest. I would have to say that instead The Forest is Queen!

This was my vision quest and an addition the the kitchen shrine. It is a gift to the community and a gift to myself, because it shows exactly what I am awaiting to see. Soon I will be able to hike into the forest again and sit next the the stream, surrounded by the queen herself and all of the astounding beauty she encompasses.

Please do check out the Steemit Vision Quest, a lovely contest that is meant to inspire your higher self to create what you see. It does not fail to inspire me and get me creating!

Thank you for accompanying me on my journey through paint, and I am grateful I am able to share such joy with others! Please do stop by again, engage in the comments and share your thoughts. I hope that spring brings blessings into your life, and nature brings joy to your soul!